


bouquets of heaven upon your rotting grass

by radbees



Series: thank you TEAverse very cool [1]
Category: TEAverse
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Character Study, Gen, Minor Character Death, Sort Of, kind of, stan zeno's paradox smh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2020-12-08 23:57:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20985413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/radbees/pseuds/radbees
Summary: There is only one person worse than Aeris No-Last-Name, and his name was Merrick Liennes.





	bouquets of heaven upon your rotting grass

When she first meets the bane of the House Valens, he's exactly as she imagines.

He's secluded secrets, suspicious movements, a frightening demeanor, and the very image of someone who had killed their own brother in cold blood and dared deny it. Dared stand on on the very floors that gods had done once and would again with the knowledge of said fact.

He's not the worst person to exist in this godly territory, however. There is only one person more terrible than Aeris, more frightening, more cruel, more dreadful, and his name was Merrick Liennes.

Because he's all sharp smiles, bitter lies, cruel words, haunting memories, and dangerous presences. His eyes are a corrupted sunset of greed and all things dishonorable with the world, and they hold a glimpse of something not quite right. Jeno doesn't _like_ Aeris, but she despises Merrick Liennes with a passion she didn't know existed until they'd met.

Because Aeris is not the one who sends an innocent man tumbling to his knees and on death's door. Aeris is not the one who takes the reins of her own mind and tries to stop her from helping said innocent man with a sneer on his face. Aeris is not the one who takes and takes and takes and gives back what he doesn't want like he was god already and the world was his toy.

Aeris is the one who looks Merrick Liennes in the eye and gives her back the reins. Aeris is the one who summons sparks from gods know where, backs Merrick Liennes into a wall, and lets himself be taken next. Aeris No-Last-Name saves her life that day and it's nothing but a surprise.

Her heart's racing throughout the whole thing. She can't let this man-what had he _done_? _what_ had he _done_?-die on this marble floor at the hands of an entitled noble, and apparently, neither could Aeris.

(He dies anyway, because death is roomy and life is sparse.)

After that, he's not the bane of the House Valens, anymore, not really.

Because now, he's sad eyes, tired movements, hidden determination, wretched guilt, and heaving breaths at midnight when the world sleeps and moon sings.

Jeno's not stupid, she hardly considers him an ally, but maybe, just maybe, he isn't really as big a threat as she thought.

Maybe, just maybe, there's more than just an ounce of good left in Aeris's heart.

Maybe, just maybe, that means there's even a little hope left for Merrick Liennes, too.

**Author's Note:**

> stan zeno's paradox bro,,


End file.
